What Tomorrow Held
by Sawyersgirl
Summary: Sequel to Give and Take. Claire has moved and they find themselves in the middle of a break. The new girl that Drake meets at a Christmas party has brought back his old ways. Can he decide which girl he loves more?


What Tomorrow Held

-Sequel to Give and Take-

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Drake and Josh and however clever I do not own the title of this story either...it's the name of a band the next town over from me. They're pretty cool.

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Christmas came too soon

It'd been 5 long months for Drake Parker, 5 months he never wanted to endure, the longest he knew he'd ever. He sat in his room now, his parents annual Christmas party underway. He could hear the music and laughter downstairs but knew that he didn't want to partake in any of it. He just didn't feel like he used to, that was, ever since Claire left.

He sat staring at the photo album that Claire'd sent him for Christmas. Various pictures of Elyse and herself. Halloween, Christmas party, Apple picking, on the lake, in the snow. He hated not being there, but most of all he hated the letter that went along with it.

_I'm sorry that I haven't been calling you lately. I just can't seem to find a happy medium being nearly 3,000 miles away from you. Guy's are nice here, guy's like me, they like Elyse too. I don't know what you think of the idea of going on a break or something. I don't know. I've found myself wondering if you're the one for me. I just want to make sure. I know you've dated far more people then I have. And I know that you probably know already, but...I don't know if I do. Call me about it and we'll talk._

_-Claire_

The letter sat on his desk. His mind full of hate, shame, and sorrow. The one girl he knew he loved, the one girl who he'd go to the ends of the earth for, basically slapped him in the face and ruined any shard of hope he'd ever had of getting back together with her.

Truth was, he called her an hour ago. Called her to find out she was out with some guy from school. Out to a Christmas party. She had a life, while he was still obsessing over the girl he knew he wanted to marry, the girl he knew he'd lost.

The door opened and Drake turned to see who it was. An unfamilliar brunette walked in. She was about Drake's age. He guessed she was on of his parents friends daughters.

"Wow, this definatly isn't the bathroom." She laughed as she walked in. "You don't mind if I come in do you?" She asked before she got down the steps.

"No, not at all." Drake said closing the photo album and folding the letter.

"You must be Audrey's son. I've already met Walters."

"Yeah, I'm Drake." He said getting up to shake the girls hand.

"Pretty awsome room you have." She said eyeing the posters, the couch, and the guitar. "You play?" She asked pointing at it.

"Yeah, I used to have a band but, well, things happened and it fell apart." He explained, a saddened tone in his voice. His band started to fall when they lost their bassist, she moved. And Drake too depressed to make a commitment anymore basically was the catalyst to failure. How could they be a band when their lead guitar/singer/posterboy left?

"That's cool. Um, excuse me but I really kind of have to use the bathroom...where is it?" She asked heading towards the door.

"next door on your right." Drake said as he sat down on the couch. He instantly felt the insinctual need to hunt this girl down. She was pretty, nice, and if Claire wanted to be on a break so be it. He'd serve her back with what she'd dealt him. He wouldn't enjoy the fact that he wasn't with her, but he needed the warmth and stability of another girl in his life. It's always hard for someone to go back to what they used to know.

The girl came back. It was obvious to Drake that she liked him. He'd never really lost his charm. It was the one constant in his life. He could always depend on his good looks to be there, unless he got attacked by a bear or something, but the odds of that were slim.

"I thought I'd come back. You seem lonely." The girl stated as she sat down on the couch next to him. A Wonderful Life was playing. It was a tradition in the Parker-Nichols household to watch it every year. Drake liked the way the movie was done, he liked the meaning.

"Thanks. What's your name by the way?" He asked. There was this mysterious atmosphere about this girl.

"Jackie. I live in Ocean Side. 45 minutes away. My dad works with your dad." she explained. She was pretty. Long brown hair, green eyes, she was short but well endowed elsewhere. She was nice, if worse came to worse he could just be friends with her.

"I've been there before." Drake recalled the night almost a year ago now, last March. When Claire had run away to meet him and his mother in L.A. They'd driven through Ocean Side and stopped there to get dinner.

"It's not much of a town to live in. I like San Diego better." She replied playing with her shirt. If she'd lived here Drake knew he'd have probably dated her. She was wearing dark denim jeans, flats, and a pink tee layered over a white one.

Drake sat there not saying anything. Too many thoughts running through his head and he couldn't dechiper any of them.

"Why aren't you at the party?" She asked. "That is if you don't mind me asking."

"I don't exactly feel festive this year." Drake replied softly

"I don't either. My boyfriend left me and my friend moved."

"My girlfriend moved. After she had a baby. It wasn't mine though."

"She moved where? My friend just had a baby too." The girl stated looking at Drake with wide eyes.

"New Hampshire...it can't be the same person can it?" Drake asked in awe.

"Might be, she moved to New Hampshire. It wasn't Claire Johnson was it?" The girl asked perking up more. The two would have something in common now.

"Yeah, it was. You two were friends?" Drake stated in awe.

"We met at a youth program our Freshmen year. We've stayed in touch ever since. Felt bad for her with the baby and everything. She told me about you a couple of times. I never put two and two together, considering I just met you."

"It's odd how that happens."

Josh entered the room carrying a plate of food for Drake. He was always considerate like that. His face lit up when he saw Jackie sitting next to Drake.

"I see you met Jackie." Josh elated.

"Yeah, Josh did you know she was friends with Claire?" Drake asked his brother.

"Yeah, Jackie and I met at the same youth program that Claire was in. Drake I already told you Claire and I met at a youth program." Josh said walking over to the couch. "I brought you some food. You should really come to the party."

"I'd rather not. But thanks for the food." Drake said going straight for the cookies.

"No problem. See you two later." Josh said with a smile on his face.

"Josh is so funny." she sighed. Drake placed his feet on the table and drank egg nog. He was never really a fan of it, but it did offer a lot of calories so it was almost like candy.

An hour or so passed the two watched the movie, entering in causual conversation every once and a while. Both enjoying the pressence of at least another wounded soul at the moment.

"Jackie, you're parents are leaving." Josh stated as he walked back downstairs.

"Well, I better get going then." She stated getting up from the couch. "It was nice meeting you Drake Parker." She said handing him a slip of paper. "E-mail." She laughed as she saw the look on his face. "I really liked talking to you." Drake walked her to their door. He didn't want her to leave. The desire felt guilty but he couldn't sustain it any longer. Five months was a long time for any teenage boy.

The two stood in the doorway. Close enough to feel the warmth of the other, close enough to do something stupid. Drake leaned in he felt Jackie lean in too. Before they knew it they were locked in a passionate, teenage, I-haven't-done-this-in-forever-and-it's-stupid, kiss. Drake placed his hands around her waist and she ran her hands through his hair. The one spur of the moment thing she'd ever done. They broke away left staring into the others eyes. Both knowing that neither one intended for that to happen.

"Damn..." Drake whispered. The girl bit her lip as she nodded in compliance.

"I'll see you later." She said softly as she walked away. Drake retreated to the couch.

"Shit..." Was the only words able to escape his lips.

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Hey, Thank you all for loving Give and Take, (by the way that was my first ever finished fan fic!) So, basically Jackie is that transitional conflict so...yeah...basically I'm working on it. Enjoy.

-Mo


End file.
